Religion and literature: analysis of the novel Laurus by Evgenij Vodolazkin

Delo obravnava večino ključnih tematik, ki se tičejo odnosa med religijo in literaturo. Najprej predstavi kratek zgodovinski presek izoblikovanja slovenskega in ruskega naroda. Pri obeh narodih je ključno vlogo pri iskanju nacionalne identite in skupnega jezika odigrala literatura, ter prav tako religija. V naslednjem poglavju delo predstavi zgodovino preučevanja te interdisciplinarne vede, ter nekatera ključna vprašanja, ki so si jih zastavljali zgodnji raziskovalci. Nadalje izvemo, kako so se te vede lotili sodobni preučevalci religije in literature, ter nekatere probleme, ki jih ti vidijo pri temu. V ločenih poglavjih, delo nato predstavi nekaj izmed najbolj pogostih tem, ki so v sklopu te vede prisotne. Poglavje o avtorju si zastavlja vprašanje, kakšno vlogo ima pri bralčevem sprejemu dela njegova osebna filozofija in vera. Tukaj se še posebej posvetimo eseju Rolanda Barthesa. Naslednje poglavje obravnava odnos med etiko in literaturo - ali mora biti umetnost etična, kakšna je pri tem vloga bralca in kakšno stališče do tega ima T.S. Eliot. S pomočjo Rushdijevega eseja in njegovega osebnega primera, se lotimo vprašanja umetniške svobode, ter meje pisanja o določeni religiji. Naslednje poglavje predstavi teorijo ruskega misleca Mihaila Bahtina. Bahtin je nasprotoval strukturalistični analizi literature in med drugim menil, da lahko literarna dela beremo kot simbole. Ločeno poglavje z nekaj konkretnimi primeri obravnava, kako je religija zastopana v sodobni literaturi, s podpoglavjem o slovenski literaturi. Tukaj se osredotočimo na predstavitev dveh pogostih literarni smeri, zaradi katerih nekateri menijo, da je sodobna literatura anti-religijska: postmodernizem in magični realizem. Ker nato analiziramo ruski roman, sledi nato še poglavje o pravoslavni Cerkvi. Drugi del magistrskega dela skuša na konkretnem primeru romana Laurus, obravnavati nekatere prej omenjene tematike iz prejšnjih poglavij. Izvemo kakšna je Vodolazkinova osebna filozofija in vera, kaj nam kot bralcu skuša sporočiti oblika romana, ali roman omogoča t.i. religiozno branje in bralčevo duhovno rast, ter katere religijske teme roman obravnava.This thesis deals with most of the key elements, that relate to the relationship between religion and literature. The first section represents a short historical summary of the formation of the Slovenian and Russian nation. Literature, as well as religion, played a key role in the search for national identity and the formation of the common language. The next chapter elaborates on the history of research in this interdisciplinary science, going back to questions early scientists already asked themselves in this field of study. Furthermore, this thesis shows how modern researchers analysed the most common problems they encountered in the fields of religion and literature. The second chapter investigates the role, that an author’s personal philosophy and faith have on the reader. With special emphasis on an essay of French literary theorist Roland Barthes. The third chapter refers to ethics and literature – whether art must always be ethical and what kind of role the reader has in this dilemma. T.S. Eliot’s theory helps analyse this matter. With the help of essayist Salman Rushdie’s essay Is Nothing Sacred?, the question - if freedom of art has any borders, when it comes to writing about religion - is investigated. The fifth chapter presents a theory of the Russian philosopher and literary critic, Mihail Bakhtin. Bakhtin opposed the structural way of analysing literature and concluded that literary works are some kind of symbols. The sixth chapter deals with a number of concrete examples on how religion is represented in contemporary literature, with a sub-chapter that elaborates on Slovenian literature. Here the focus is on the representation of two common literary trends, which are often the reason, why researchers claim that contemporary literature is antireligious: postmodernism and magical realism. Because this research more specifically analyses the Russian novel Laurus, the next chapter explores the role of the Russian Orthodox Church. The second section of this master’s thesis, connects the above mentioned theories with the novel Laurus, by Eugene Vodolazkin. What are Vodolazkin’s personal philosophy and belief? Which religious themes are present in the novel? What is the novel trying to tell to its readers, considering the theory of »religious reading«? Does the novel contribute to readers spiritual growth? This research answers these questions